Grain-divider.



H. A. VOGEL.

GRAIN DIVIDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.22, 1913.

hhl, Patented Ma119, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. A. VOGEL.

GRAIN DIVIDBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR,22. 191s.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TH: Nuxma r-LTERS Co., PHOTO-LITHG.. WASHINGTUN. D, C

www entre.

HERMAN A. VOGEL, OF KIEL, WISCONSIN.

GRAIN-DIVIDER.

Application filed March 22, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN A.. VOGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kiel, in the county of Manitowoc and State of -Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Dividers, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention has for its object to provide an improvement in grain dividers where a V-shaped device is arranged in front of a wheel to move grain to either side as the machine progresses. In such devices as now used, a large amount of grain is lost by reason of the fact that a great many stalks are laid prostrate, or left inclined to such a degree as to be lost, especially in those regions where the stalks are cut high.

In attaining my ends I employ a device sliding upon the ground, and it is a further object of my invention to so construct this device that it will readily accommodate itself to inequalities in the surface lover which it travels, without impeding the progress of the machine to which it is attached. f

A further attainment is to make the device adjustable to operate at various heights with relation tothe supporting structure, as may be made necessary in some machines when different teams of horses are used to draw them.

Additional objects and advantages will appear, some of these being apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 `is a side view of a' reaper equipped with my invention, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the divider, Fig. 3 is a front view of the device in operation, Fig. t is a top view of the divider, Fig. 5 indicates the difference in the functioning of one of the prior types of dividers. Fig. 6 is a detail of the mounting of the divider head on the hangers. i

There is illustrated a reaper 10 which may be of any usual type, although it will be understood that my invention is equally applicable to reapers and binders or any other machines in which it is desirable to move grain stalks out of the path of the wheels. These machines when adapted to be drawn by horses as in the present case, usually have a laterally extending cutter not shown arranged before, and to cut a swath extending over the path of, one immediately adjacent supporting wheel not shown, and the opposite, and usually left hand, wheel 12 1s uti- Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.. 9, 1215.

serial no. 756,215.

lized to drive the cutting mechanism, although in many cases both wheels are so utilized. This wheel 12 is often therefore made broader than the other. In binders these wheels are very broad.

In mowing a .field of grain, in order to take advantage of the full area of the field, it is customary to drive the reaper around the sides with the cutter mechanism on the side neXt the fence, making a swath immediately adjacent the fence. Tn this operation the outer wheel 12 has traveled through virgin, or at least uncut grain, much of which after being thus run over does not again rise suihciently to be out in the subsequent reaping. After the initial swath has been cut the reaper is then driven in the opposite direction, so that the wheel 12 travels over the stubble. If the reaper is one in which the cutting mechanism is not disposed in front of the adjacent wheel, this wheel also injures a large quantity of grain. I provide slightly in advance of the wheel or wheels before which my device is to be mounted a supporting and guiding bar, as at l5 in the drawings, unless there is some correspondingly located rod already present in the machine, or close to the same location. To this supporting bar are clamped the hangers 16, each of which comprises a flat bar having a longitudinally arranged series of closely spaced apertures 17 therethrough. A clamping strap 18 of metal, having two suitably spaced bolts 19 therethrough is arranged on one side of the bar 15'and the hanger on the other, the bolts being presented through registered apertures in the hanger above and below the bar 15. By means of nuts on the bolts the hangers are clamped securely in place. The divider proper is carried by these hangers, and consists of a V-shaped plow or head 2O consisting of two bars 21 of iron rectangular in cross section and joined at their forward ends, extending divergently and rearwardly from their junction to a point 22 adjacent the wheel 12, from which point they are continued parallel to each other and to the major vertical plane of the wheel 12. The plow is sharply pointed at its forward end 28, and curved slightly upward. Between the bars adjacent the point there is secured a rearwardly and upwardly inclined bar 25 stopping intermediately of the length of the plow, and the purpose of which will be subsequently explained. At the beginning of between the spring and the nut.

Yto

the rear parallel portions of the bars 21, eoaxial bolts 26 are engaged therethrough near the upperedges of the bars, on which is pivoted the yoke 27, consisting 'of a plain bar having its ends 28 yturned downwardly and engaged pivotally on the bolts 26. The ends 28 extend slightly above the bars 21, and are provided with check lugs 29 adapted to engage against the tops of the bars 21 to check pivotal movement of the bars with relation to the yoke when the forward end of the Aplow is depressed to a predetermined limit. l

The lower ends of the hangers are extendedrearwardly under the yoke 27, and carry each a bolt 30' engaged slidably l through the yoke, and having a nut on the upper end spaced some distance above the yoke and having confined thereunder a. pror tractile spring bearing upon the yoke to hold the rear Vpart of the plow yieldably against being raised. A washer is interposed The engagement of these bolts in the lower ends of the hangers is loose, so as to allow a swivel action to a proper extent whereby one side of the plow may be considerably elevated above the other without lifting the otherl from the ground.

In use, the device being mounted as de scribed, the plow is adjusted at a proper yheight to bear upon the ground kto the desired extent, and if desired a weight 32 or other suitable means employed to bear the forward Vend upon the ground with proper force, carried by or engaged with the arm 25. 'As the machine moves forward, the plow slides along, engagingv the surface lightly, and the grain is moved bodily out of the path of the wheel, a small portion of soil being also carried therewith, usually, which serves to sustain the grain in a standing position. The pivotal mounting of the device enables'it to readily follow undula- V tions of the` surface, the upwardly inclined point guiding it over rises, and its weight or such Vmeans asibears on the arm 25 depressing the forward end to maintain contact with the earth when inclined downn wardly before the device. 1t will be understood'thatV where an abrupt'drop is encouir tered followed byY a sudden ries of thesurfacepthe point might tend to gouge into the earth causing damage tothe device or cheeking its progress. VVTherch'eck lugs 29, however, prevent the point from falling to such an extent as'to interfere in that'way. 1When a large stone is encountered over which one side of the plow rides, the loose and resilient mounting Vof the yoke 27 permits this readily, while the opposite side ofthe plow is retained in'proper engaged position. Y

'It will be apparent that where the plow momentarily fails to engage the grain at the ground as described, as might occur when a stone lifts one side or both, or when crossing abrupt gulleys, the divider will still function in the manner of the previous devices, and such grain as could be saved in that way preserved. It is found in practice that the device saves more than 90 per cent of the grain in the path of the wheel.

have included a drawing, Fig. 5, to illustrate how with previous devices, the grain is nevertheless mashed ilat by the vheel l2, and by comparison with my Fig. 3, the difference in function and result will readily be appreciated.

That is claimed is:

1. A grain divider comprising a supporting frame, vertically adjustable hangers thereon, a plow including a transverse yoke, the ends of the hangers being extended be neath the yoke, a bolt loosely engaged through each hanger and the yoke, a spring on top of the yoke adjacent each bolt, and means on the bolts to compress the springs to hold the plow yieldably against upward movement.

2. In a device of the class described,'a divider support comprising a supporting bar, a divider, hangers connected thereto each comprising in combination bars provided with a multiplicity of longitudinally spaced apertures, short bars having an aperture adjacent each end, bolts engaged through each aperture rof the short bars and registered apertures of the first named bars, and nuts on the bolts, said supporting bar being held between the apertured bars.

3. A. grain divider including a plow, a yoke pivotally connected to the plow on an axis transverse thereto, a supporting frame connected to the yoke, and check lugs carried by the yoke and arranged to engage the plowv rearwardly of the said axis when the plow is at a predetermined limit of its pivotal movement.

4. A grain divider comprising two bars connected at forward ends and diverging rearwardly, a transverse yoke having an arm pivoted on each bar rearwardly of the vcenter of gravity of the divider, a check lug on the yoke engaging the divider to limit its depression at the forward end, hangers adjacent the ends of the bars, and resilient sliding connections between the yoke and the hangers.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.v

HERMAN A. VOGEL.

Witnesses z ALwiN Voenn, FRED VVissLiNG.

C''p'es of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

